Many electronic devices include modules or plug-ins that perform a variety of functions. Such devices may be portable and may include, but are not limited to, cellular telephones, notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), calculators, and handheld games or controllers, or any device in which a removable memory, memory and processor combined, digital signal processor, or power source card is desired. There is an ongoing effort to reduce device size. As the size of electronic devices decreases, the reduction of the size of various components within each device becomes valuable and desirable in order to decrease the overall device size.
One example of the various mobile telecommunication devices in which such a card may be desired includes devices operating on the Groupe Special Mobile (also known as GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications) standard digital cellular phone service. Such devices commonly incorporate the use of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card having standard SIM reader electrical contacts. A card reader typically receives a SIM card with contacts corresponding to the standard SIM card contacts. The SIM card reader may be integral to the mobile telecommunication device, and is often accessible beneath the battery. The SIM card may be installed or inserted into the SIM card reader of the mobile telecommunication device, linking that mobile telecommunication device to the subscriber-related information stored on the SIM card. The subscriber-related information facilitates a telephone call from any valid mobile communication device, because the subscriber-related information is used to complete the call rather than specific internal physical identifiers (such as an internal serial number) that may be associated with the mobile telecommunication device.
In general, the form factors of conventional SIMs are substantially planar, and in some cases SIMs may be about the size of a postage stamp. The size and shape of SIMs and other removable cards may limit desired reduction in size of the device in which the cards are disposed. Consequently, a need exists to reduce the size or change the shape of such cards to allow reduction in size or change of shape of the host device.